Nutrition

Food Combining for Digestion and Weight Management

The combination of foods you eat could be causing you indigestion and contributing to excess weight. The idea is simple enough, there are certain foods that you want to separate into different meals to aid in  proper digestion. Did you know that poor digestion contributes to signs of aging? Proper digestion helps keep your organs in working order, the more wore out they get the weaker they become and less able to perform normal processes. Keeping your outside youthful starts on the inside and more importantly with what your are feeding your cells. 

It starts with eating proteins together and non-proteins as separate meals as a general rule. For a more in depth run down watch the video on the website listed below. 

http://www.acidalkalinediet.com/food-combining/complete-food-combining-chart

Here is a free printable Food Combination Chart from the site listed below the image:

Image courtesy of: http://www.abcompany.com/abco/aw/nutrition/food_combining.htm 

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Alkaline foods vs. Acidic foods

Image courtesy of http://organiceyourlife.com

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PODCAST:

HELLO LISTENERS THANK YOU FOR VISITING HEALTHKINECT! TODAY I WILL BE TALKING A LITTLE BIT ABOUT CREATING A PH BALANCED DIET BY CONSUMING MORE ALKALINE FOODS AND LESS ACIDIC FOODS.

THE FOODS YOU CONSUME CAN INFLUENCE YOUR HEALTH IN MORE WAYS THAN YOU MAY THINK. DID YOU KNOW THAT FOODS YOU EAT COULD BE EITHER INFLAMMTORY OR ANTI-INFLAMATORY? THIS IS SOMETHING THAT MORE AND MORE PEOPLE ARE TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION AND USING TO TAKE CONTROL OF THEIR HEALTH.

WHEN YOUR BODY’S PH IS BALANCED YOU CAN BE AT YOUR OPTIMUM HEALTH. PROPER PH BALANCE IMPROVES OVERALL HEALTH, ENERGY LEVELS, MOOD AND LONGETIVITY BECAUSE IT’S BASED AT A CELLUAR LEVEL.

PH STANDS FOR ‘POTENTIAL HYDROGEN’ I WON’T GET INTO THE CHEMISTRY HERE. BASICALLY FOR OPTIMAL PERFORMACE PH BALANCE IS ESSENTIAL TO CHEMICAL PROCESSES.

  

THE HUMAN BODY'S PH LEVEL SHOULD BE AROUND 7.4 ON THE PH SCALE. TO KEEP OUR BODIES IN BALANCE WE SHOULD TRY TO CONSUME FOODS THAT ARE MORE ALKALINE SINCE MANY FOODS IN OUR DIETS TODAY TEND TO BE ACIDIC. ONE OF THE SIMPLEST WAYS TO AVOID HIGHER ACIDITY IN THE BODY IS TO SIMPLEY EAT MORE VEGGIES AND LESS RED MEAT AND DAIRY. BUT TO GET MORE TECHNICAL YOU CAN TEST YOUR BODY'S PH AT HOME AND PLAN YOUR CONSUMPTION ACCORDINGLY. A BALANCED DIET SHOULD CONSIST OF ABOUT 25% ACIDIC FOODS AND AROUND 75% ALKALINE FOODS.

CONSUMING TOO MANY ACDIC FOODS COULD LEAD TO ILLNESS, AS THEY ARE TAXING ON YOUR BODY AND CAN WEAR IT DOWN CONTRIBUTING TO A VARIETY OF AILMENTS. HIGH ACIDITY LEVELS HAVE BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH CANCER, DIABETES, ARTHRITIS, AND MORE.

EVERY FOOD HAS IT’S OWN PH LEVEL. THE PLUS SYMBOL SIGNIFIES ALKALINITY AND THE MINUS SYMBOL SIGNIFIES ACIDITY.

ESSENTIALLY THE HIGHER THE FOOD’S PH NUMBER THE MORE ALKALINE AND BETTER IT IS FOR YOU TO EAT. THE LOWER THE NUMBER THE MORE ACIDIC THE FOOD AND THEREFORE WORSE IT IS FOR YOU TO CONSUME. FOR EXAMPLE, FRESH CUCUMBER IS LISTED WITH A POSITIVE (OR PLUS) THIRTY-ONE POINT FIVE PH LEVEL SIGINFYING HIGH ALKALINITY COMPARED TO THE HIGHLY ACIDIC NUMBER OF PORK AT NEGATIVE (OR MINUS) THIRTY-EIGHT POINT ZERO.  THESE ARE ONLY A COUPLE OF FOODS LISTED AT OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE SPECTRUM.

ALKALINE FOODS CONSIST PRIMARILY OF RAW GREEN VEGETABLES AND A VARIETY OF FRUITS. (WHICH COMES AS NO SURPRISE). A SHORT LIST OF ALKALINE FOODS INCLUDES: DATES, PRUNES, RAISINS, APRICOTS, MANGO, CHERRIES, YOGURT, GARLIC, RASPBERRIES, SPINACH, GRAPEFRUIT, KELP, LEMON, WATERMELON, AND MANY MORE.

ACIDIC FOODS CONSIST MAINLY OF FATTY, SUGARY, AND PROCESSED FOODS. A LIST OF ACID FORMING FOODS INCLUDES: RED MEAT, ALCOHOL, TOBACCO, EGG YOLK, PEANUTS, MILK PRODUCTS, CAFFEINE, COFFEE, CHOCOLATE, RICE, PASTA, SUGAR, AND MANY MORE.

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN MAKING DIETARY CHANGES FOR ALKALINITY, I WOULD SUGGEST SLOWY CHANGING DIETARY HABITS, AS NO SUDDEN CHANGES ARE HEALTHY. REGULARLY MEASURING AND MONITORING PH LEVELS WITH PH TEST STRIPS CAN BE HELPFUL TO GAIN PERSECTIVE ON WHERE YOU STAND ON THE PH SCALE.  

I HAVE LISTED A FEW WEBSITES ON MY BLOG FOR SPECIFIC FOOD TRACKING, MORE INFORMATION REGARDING PH LEVELS, AND ALKALINE AND ACIDIC FOODS. THAT WRAPS UP MY PODCAST FOR TODAY. THANK YOU FOR VISITING HEALTHKINECT, STAY HEALTHY AND HAPPY! 

Here are some links to check out:

pH scale: http://www.balance-ph-diet.com/ph_scale.html

Alkaline forming foods: http://www.balance-ph-diet.com/alkaline_food.html

Acid forming foods: http://www.balance-ph-diet.com/acidic_food.html

Food chart: http://www.balance-ph-diet.com/acid_alkaline_food_chart.html

Alkaline vs. Acidic Food: http://wakeupgethealthy.wordpress.com/alkaline-food-vs-acidic-food/

This site offers a library of nutritional data, it breaks everything down. Search foods to find out what you are eating. Check it out and feel free to sign up to gain more from the site:

http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/fruits-and-fruit-juices/1846/2

A great video on foods and a couple videos on pH testing: 

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Moods matter- how to take control of yours

There are several ways to beat a bad mood and get positive. Here are some areas to consider and things to try to get out of a funk.

Foods and moods- Nourish your body and your mind 

Here are 20 foods to add to your diet today that can help improve your energy and your mood:

1. avocado
2. bananas
3. sunflower seeds
4. honey (quality)
5. spinach
6. greek yogurt
7. eggs
8. black eye peas
9. brazil nuts
10. chamomile
11. asparagus
12. oregano
13. salmon
14. cherry tomatoes
15. dark chocolate
16. oatmeal
17. swiss chard
18. mussels
19. lentils
20. turkey

*Whenever possible try to buy quality/ organic foods from places like your local farmer's market or grocery store.

Here is a youtube video below that goes more in detail, it focuses on diet and depression:

Colors and mood- People use colors all the time to make an impact or influence moods 

Here are some colors and their uses:

Purple: for calming, creativity
Blue: for calming, relaxing
Green: for harmony, clarity, calming
Yellow: for positivity, happiness
Orange: for energizing
Red: for passion, power, romance
Black: for power, elegance
White: for simplicity, purity, peace

Activities to improve mood- Staying active has been proven to release happy hormones, like serotonin, helping to keep negative emotions at bay

Release negativity or relax with these activities:

1. Get outside- natural light boosts serotonin levels.
2. Go for a nature walk or hike- work off some calories in the fresh air.
3. Go on a picnic with a friend and include some mood boosting foods.
4. Swimming- a good way to workout and relax.
5. Read a book- stimulate your brain and get your mind off of stressful thoughts.
6. Get plenty of sleep- lack of sleep is related to anxiety and depression.
7. Listen to upbeat or relaxing music- let it move you into a better mood, even try singing along.
8. Get organized- living in clutter is stressful, simplify your living space and your mind will rest easier.
9. Treat yourself to something special like a massage which will also help you to relax.
10. Write down and release your troubles in a journal- this will also show you negative patterns that you can work to break.
11. Challenge yourself- try something new like yoga or join a club.
12. Try Aromatherapy with herbs for relaxation, like lavender.
13. Challenge your negative thoughts and look on the bright side.
14. Take time for yourself. Don't let every day tasks and obligations take over all of your time.
15. Hug someone.